Dark wolves
by AnnFale
Summary: There is one species that is equal in power to the Carpathians. They have remained hidden.Now from the shadows comes a Lycan that should have stayed hidden. She hasn't come alone and she isn't staying, or maybe there is something to keep her in this world
1. Chapter 1

Prologue.

I can still remember the sound of my mother's surprise when I growled at the men who walked into our village. Perhaps it was more her look of worry that sticks with me now. Because in that moment it was clear as to what my place would be in the pack. My father was proud of me but my mother's gaze held nothing but sorrow. After all with my path now set there was very little chance of my having cubs of my own. The way of our pack is very different from the others. My mother pleaded with father him not to send me away. Yet even while I could smell the tears and hear the pain in her voice I knew that this…this path was my destiny. It has taken me years until I realized why my mother was so afraid of what was happening.

The beginning-

The playful bark of cubs abounded in the small hidden village. While the adults watched over them carefully there was a slight tension in the air. The prince of the Carpathians was coming to forge an allegiance between one of the more powerful Lycan packs and the High mage. Pack leader and his mate sat on the raised porch looking over the village. Though the man kept his unease hidden his mate and daughter could tell that something was not quite right. The small girl had her hair cut short so short in fact it gave the small girl the look of a boy.

"mama…may I go and play?" She asked her big eyes looking up at her mother who sat clothed in a deer pelt. Unlike the other species the Lycans did not bother so much with clothing they were nothing but a hassle. As it was once the pups were capable of maintaining their forms for long periods of time they would once again resume their wolf forms until the time for a new littler. "Please mama…I promise to play nice. Papa, can you tell mama to let me play?" she pleaded her dark eyes looking up at him imploringly. Than for a moment a smile touched her father's face. The man's stern countenance was broken for a single moment as he smiled down at his daughter. His eyes were as light as her eyes were dark. The small girl toke after her mother who was not originally from this pack. Were the alpha male was light and fair with his hair blonde and eyes ice blue, his mate bore long dark black hair her eyes were a dark brown.

"Go play my little pup." He said in a low voice and then reached a hand out and gently sent her tumbling down the small steps. The little girl laughed as she bound off to play with the other pups. Like the other children the only thing that showed that she was a girl was the small deer skin dress that she wore where the boys wore small britches made for deer hide. A shot went up from the other children as she joined them in their endeavor to catch flying bugs.

"They look happy as if nothing is changing." The alpha female looked at her mate from the side. Her hand reached out and settled on his thigh.

"Nothing is changing for them love, and perhaps not for us either." He said in an even tone. Personally he did not care for the Carpathians in the least, but he did respect their power. It confused him why they would work with the mage though. As far as he and his pack were concerned the Mage was just another human and therefore not trust worthy. "I have called the Tsume here." With that his mate stilled. It worried her that he would call that part of the pack here.

"You do not believe that things will go smoothly tonight?" Her question was soft

"He is human…and you can only trust human to do one thing and that is to be greedy and betray you." His words were cold. But perhaps he had reason, So many packs had been hunted by humans…and some many killed. It was amazing that his pack had managed to stay safe so far but he worried how long that would last. As it was the time was coming that they would have to be leaving. His mate sighed and moved closer to him to offer him some sort of comfort. She too knew how dangerous humans could be to them; her own pack had been hunted and killed. Than before they could continue their conversation the pups had fallen silent and their mothers were pulling them away. Yet here in the middle of the path way stood their daughter eyes flashing growling at the men who had walked into the village. There stood the Mage and the small group of Carpathians including the prince Vlad Debrinski. Moving quickly they moved to stand next to their daughter. It was then that they saw something that would change everything. Behind their daughter stood a pup that had lost its parents and was now being raised by the whole village. He cowered behind the little girl and her hands were curved and her nails had become claws on the back of her neck was a glowing mark that had not been there before. Reaching out his hand the alpha male rested it on his daughters shoulder.

"Papa he scared Demi….send him away he scares all of them." She growled in a voice that seemed much to mature to becoming from such a little girl.

"Tatsuki, take Demi and go inside…I will deal with this." He said in a cold voice. All around them the pups had disappeared and now only the adults remained. Many of the woman looked as if they wanted nothing more than to rip the intruders apart. There was nothing in the world that was more dangerous than a bunch of she-wolves protecting pups they thought could be in danger. Taking in the scene about he slowly allowed his gaze to fall on the mage. "Tell me Debrinski…Why is it that you have aligned with a …Human?"

" Alexander, why don't we going in so we may speak." Vlad's voice was calm and soothing. He was clearly trying to use his abilities to fix the situation.

"No, Anything that needs to be said will be said in front of my pack." Alexander said with a sharp laugh. Carpathians had no power over them. There were not some weaker species like the leopards.

"As you wish….Xavier has much knowledge and power to offer perhaps a way to keep you protected from the humans." Vlad said without any embellishments.

"He is human….and unworthy of trust. Already he has brought fear to my cubs…" He said firmly. A quick glance about said that the others all agreed. The man was not to be trusted. So far the mage did not speak and Alexander did not need to hear his words to know that the man was not all that he seemed. "No, we will have nothing to do with him….And so long as your people are aligned with him…" Alexander paused, his next words were dangerous for both species but there was no other way. "We will have nothing to do with your kind, Our lands will no longer be safe for you to travel through. It will also be known that we will not offer any safety to any lycan who chooses to align with you or the human." As he finished speaking it was clear that his words surprised the prince. Yet it was clear that there would be no changing his words or decision. Than just as quickly as the group had come they were gone. Turning he headed back towards his small house his mate following him.

"Alex….what about Tatsuki?" She asked fearfully.

"She will be sent to the Tsume….The time was coming for a new protector to be appointed." He said evenly all emotion being held away from his voice and face.

"You are just going to send away my daughter?" She snapped

"It is the way of the pack….If I do not follow our tradition the others won't….Maya….love." Alexander tried to ease the pain as much as he could.

"She will never have a chance…to have pups of her own, You are sentencing your Daughter to a life that only has death….no love…no mate…no pups…nothing. You are giving her a long future of emptiness!" Maya all but screamed. The others who had been out in the streets quickly moved back into their little houses. Tatsuki was sitting just hidden from sight listening to the fight her parents were having. She didn't understand what was happening. Why was her mother yelling and why did her father smell like he was heartbroken.

"I have no choice…and neither do you." He said in an empty tone. Alexander knew that he was going to allow his mate to scream and yell all she wanted. After all it was exactly what he had wanted to do but he knew that as pack leader he couldn't. "Tatsuki come out here and sit with your mama and I for a moment." He called to his daughter as she once again sat on the porch overlooking the small village. Tatsuki came out a bit bashfully ashamed to have been caught listening to the conversation. Instead of sitting down next to her parents she climbed carefully into her mother's lap. The woman who Tatsuki thought was the strongest person cried softly as she held her daughter close to her. As she sat there Tatsuki heard her mother whispering quiet words in her native tongue. It was a language that the woman rarely spoke.

"Tatsuki…." Her father started slowly, he seemed to have problems finding the right words to use. " What you did today when you protected Demi and stood infront of those men…It was very dangerous….you should have gone and gotten one of your brothers."

"But daddy…he would have hurt Demi I know that the human would have hurt Demi! Cause Demi is like his gramma" Tatsuki tried to explain without getting upset. Both Alexander and Maya shared a worried look after hearing Tatsuki's words. If it was true, and Demi was like his grandmother than there was going to be many more troubles.

"do you know what the Tsume is?" Alexander asked Tatsuki gently

"No,"

"It is the claw of our pack….. It is the person who extracts vengeance for our pack...hunts down those who have betrayed our pack. It protects the pack." He said evenly. Alexander left out the fact that the person who held that position also was held apart from the pack. After all how could he extract justice if they were stuck having relationships with those they may have to kill at some point. Lycans did not have more than one who hunted those how had broken pack law like the Carpathians. No, that task fell to one person that person's lifespan was extended longer than that of their fellow lycans until another was chosen. Maya tightened her hold on her precious little girl. "You, are very special my little princess….You have been chosen to become the next Tsume."

Tatsuki turned a bit in her mothers lap and looked up at the woman's face. Reaching her hand up she tried to wipe the tears from her face. "Mama, please do cry….I promise I will be the best Tsume that our pack has ever known." A bitter little laugh escaped Maya's lips as she heard her daughters words.

"You my precious little angel will be the best the world has ever known." She said as she tried to smile. Alexander reached out and touched his daughters head gently and forced himself to keep the tears at bay. Tatsuki had been the pride of his family, of the pack and now she was going to have to live separate from them it broke his heart. Yet just looking at the little girl he knew that she was the one that was going to be needed in the years to come. The sound of movement caused him to turn his head. There walking into the village stood his sons with the current Tsume. The man was tall, and was covered with scars and his eyes held nightmares that others could on imagine. He had held his position for many, many years and it was clear that he was ready for his reward…..he was ready for the death that he had dealt to so many others. Watching the small group of men approach it was clear that they knew what was happening. There was very little conversation as Tatsuki was handed over to the care of the man who would teach her everything that she needed to learn and who would become her first kill.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Stepping into the light.

The sound of the phone ring roused Tatsuki from her fit-full sleep. Reaching her hand out to the small night stand beside her bed she fumbled about for a bit before she was able to flip her phone open.

"Yes…." She mumbled into the phone.

"You are needed…. Little Maya disappeared while on a trip to Brazil there have been rumors of problems with the jaguar people down there…with their men. Her mother fears the worst." The man's voice on the other side of the phone sounded tired. "Money is in your account and there is a private plane waiting for you…" Tatsuki listened to the voice carefully as he told her all of the details needed. The whole phone call took a little over two minutes from start to finish. As she hung up, Tatsuki rolled from her bed and headed to bathroom to shower.

As she stepped into the shower of the small bathroom she turned the water up as hot as it could go. Standing underneath the spray of the water she ran her hands through the strands of her short black hair. Reaching for the body wash she squeezed some on a small loofah. As she scrubbed her body she felt her fingers touch one particularly large raised scar that ran diagonally across her stomach. Pausing for a moment she wondered what new wounds she would have when she returned from this trip. Because if there was one thing that she knew it was that she would return. The shower ran a bit longer than she had wanted as she stepped out Tatsuki was care not to look into the mirror. She never looked in the mirror. It was something that she had picked up after she had been forced to carry out the justice of the pack against her own brother. Looking into the mirror and staring at dead eyes was not something that she found enjoyable.

Sitting on her bed Tatsuki looked about the small studio apartment that she called home. It was very clean almost to the point of obsession. Every little thing had its place and nothing was out of place. Her large bed sat in the center of the room and beside the bed stood two small nightstands one on each side. Hanging on the wall behind her bed was a huge canvas with a painted forest scene, if you were to look carefully in the forest you could see a pack of wolves. The two that were the clearest were a wolf with a pale coat almost white and one with a coat that was almost completely black. When she had gotten lonely she looked up at that painting….the painting that held her parents. Tossing her towel on the bed beside her she dressed quickly in a pair of simple blue jeans and a t-shirt that she had found amusing. Across the chest the shirt read ' You say I'm a bitch like it is a bad thing'. She could still remember the annoyed look on her brother's face when she had went to see him after completing a 'job'. He had not found it amusing in the least but his mate had. As she headed for the door she grabbed a small bag that she always had packed, and a base ball hat. After putting the hat on she slipped on some sunglasses and headed out the door. When she finally exited her apartment building there was a car waiting to take her to the airport. Getting into the car she didn't bother to speak to the driver as it was the driver was probably part of the pack and wouldn't speak to her anyways. It took her a minute but she than noticed a man sitting in the car with her.

"Tatsuki…You look…well." The man said in a low voice. Reaching out a hand he touched her face gently. It took all of her control not to lean into his touch.

"Demi, you know that is no longer that you are to call me." She said coldly as she pulled away. Once she had completed her training and killed the former Tsume as was tradition Her name ceased to exist. In essence she was no longer seen as a person but a tool to her pack.

" You will always be Tatsuki to me…and I will always call you that just as your mother wanted." Demi said firmly. After Tatsuki had been sent away her parents had taken him in and raised him as their own. Having him running about had eased Maya's heart at having to send her baby away.

"Why are you here Demi?"

"Your brother is worried that you are getting reckless." His words were delivered without much inflection. Tatsuki let out a bark of laughter, her 'brother' had no idea what it was to have to kill. Looking over Demi carefully it was clear that time was taking its toll on the man. His once black hair was now a silver gray color. Although it was clear that he was not weak of body or mind it was also plain for her to see that he was not as strong as he had once been.

"And what could you possibly do to stop me from taking risks? You are old Demi…go home and rest with your mate…watch your grandchildren. Leave me to my job." Tatsuki said firmly as she turned to look out the window and away from him. It was yet again a reminder of her place in the world. While everything moved on she remained the same aging extremely slowly if at all. The only thing that seemed to change on her was the number of scares that she bore.

"I will be accompanying you to Brazil…There is something else you have been asked to look into. Something he did not wish to speak of on the phone." Demi said slowly. "Rumors have been moving about a lycan who is mated with a Carpathian….Your 'brother' has asked that you look into that…and see if it is a risk…to us."

Tatsuki shook her head. Being the last pack that had avoided being hunted and spread to the corners of the world they had become the leaders of all the other lycan's. Though there were other smaller packs in the end they answered to her brother…and if the stepped out of line her. "I will look into it." She said shortly. It was not something she wanted to do. Their blood gave them the ability to all but blend in seamlessly with the humans. Purposely going somewhere that held Carpathians and would undoubtedly attract vampires was not something that she wanted to do. In fact this whole trip was starting to seem like the type that would end up taking a hell of a lot longer than she planned. "I can handle my job without a babysitter Demi…you are not needed….unless…." Tatsuki paused and then looked at Demi carefully. It just occurred to her that her 'brother' may be up to something touchier than she had thought. "What is he planning?" She asked sharply.

"Ulfric…has decided to rescind your fathers decision about the Carpathians…He is in the mountains as we speak meeting with the prince." Demi said quickly.

"He did this without speaking to me? He went into their land without talking to me or calling me to come?" Tatsuki's voice had taken a hard edge as she spoke.

"It is….his right. Your consultation was not needed….I advised him. This action is for the best."

"For the best? They aligned with a human…one that would have used you until there was nothing left! Their fight has nothing to do with us." Tatsuki snarled.

"But it does…There has been whispers that a pack has fallen in with the human…That they seek to hunt the rest of us." Demi said with a worried look. He had known Tatsuki for the whole of his life. It was because of him that her destiny had been realized. Part of him felt guilty for cowering behind her all those years ago. Although he knew that she would have ended up in this place no matter what, there were times that he wished she could have had a longer childhood. "Tatsuki, no longer can we all stand on our own…humans are more dangerous than ever."

"They will not understand the way we live." She muttered under her breath. There was nothing that she could do now in any case. After all the pack leader had made a decision and it would have to be upheld. Even with all her power and all of her abilities she was still subject to the rule of the pack leader. Glancing out the window she realized that they had reached the private airport that the plane was waiting at. "When we get to Brazil…you will do as I tell you…I do not need you getting in my way…"

"As you wish it…Tsume." Demi said evenly with a pointed look in her direction. As the car came to a stop He watched as Tatsuki climbed out of the car without a word or a glance to him. Climbing out of the car he followed behind her as she walked with purpose in the direction of the plane waiting for them. Already he could tell that there would be no jokes or playful taunts on this trip. For the first time since he had decided to come with her he prayed that is visions were not wrong. Even with the arguing in the car there had been something missing in Tatsuki he had noticed. Her words had been heated in moments yet her eyes hadn't flashed with anger or had there been any scent of anger from her.

The flight was silent. To anyone else a flight that was nearly 18 hours long and completely silent the whole way would have driven them insane. The silence however meant nothing to Tatsuki. She had spent many years alone with no one to talk to, no one to listen to. Yes, she had spent many years in silence it had become something that she was accustom to. Perhaps it was something she liked although if she were honest with herself she would say she hated it. Hated the constant death, the loneliness, the fear… it was the fear that she hated the most. The fear was the reason that the Tsume never lived with the rest of the pack. Others fear her, feared that at some point she would be called in to judge them. There were times that she believed even the pack leader feared her. After a lead came and went but the Tsume they stayed until another was called. Looking over at Demi she frowned he really was too old to be coming out and traveling about. He would be much better off if he were back home. Glancing at her watch she knew that it would be evening before they landed.

"It would be best if we go and call upon the Carpathians first…" Demi said as the plane started to circle the runway before landing.

"You, with deal with them…I want nothing to do with them…I have a pup to find." Tatsuki said with an indifferent shrug. Demi watched her for a moment before nodding his head in agreement there was no way that he was going to get her to do what he wanted. At least not until the child was safe.

The plane landed at a small airport that was out of the way. The airport was situated a ways out of the way of the nearest village it was surrounded almost completely on three sides by forest. Of course what Demi hadn't told Tatsuki was that the airport was a private one that was owned by the De La Cruz family. It was something that he planned to keep from her for as long as possible. After all they were Carpathians and she had already demonstrated how she felt about them. As they left the plane there was a car waiting. Tatsuki cut Demi a sharp look, one that said all too clearly that she was not in the least pleased with him. He gave her a shrug as if trying to tell her that it was not his fault. There was a driver standing out by the car. Inhaling sharply she took in all the scent. The ground smelled damp as if from a small rain storm there was the distinct smell of cats, and other wild animals. As Tatsuki sorted through the smells she continued to walk beside Demi towards the man that was waiting than was the got closer she froze and her eyes narrowed.

_He works for them! He smells as if he is protected by them I can smell the faint scent of earth about him….and not the one that you get when you work with the earth._ She snapped at Demi

_Do not make a scene…he does not know what we are…that is something they were asked to keep to themselves. _ There was a repremaind in his tone Demi cut her a sharp look as he continued to walk.

_I told you I will have nothing to do with them….until I finish what is more important…finding the location of the pup. _ The without much warning she caught up to him and shoved her back pack in his arms.

"I am glad that you had a save trip Mr. Goddard," The man waiting said pleasantly. Looking over at Tatsuki he paused and it took him a moment before he spoke again. Flowing around her was the air of danger. "And Ms…." It was clear that he hadn't been told what her name was. Hell Tatsuki would have been surprised if he had been told that she was coming at all.

"I will find you later Demi." She said coldly before she turned and started to walk away.

"Umm…Ma'am it isn't safe for a woman to be out alone at night…The nearest town in a ways away…And the ranches around here don't welcome strangers…You would be better off coming with us." The driver called firmly after her. Demi was about to open his mouth to say something when Tatsuki turned around and stared at the Driver for a moment.

"Trust me…I can take care of myself…And if you are worried I'll get lost have no fear I'll just follow your scent." She said with a cold laugh. Turning back around sharply she continued walk towards the rain forest that was near there. Even though wolves were not necessarily ingenuous to the land there she was not worried in the least. It didn't take long before she was hidden from the sight of the human. Raising her face to the sky she could see the light slowly disappearing. Once again she inhaled deeply. With her eyes closed she sorted through the smells carefully. She knew that this was close to where the girl had disappeared from. Than after standing there for a while she caught it the smell of wolf. It was faint but the smell was of a wolf that was scared. Glad that she had shoved the hat and sunglasses into her back pack she opened her eyes and focused in the direction that the scent was coming from. Moving through the forest it seemed as if she moved without effort. Her steps were sure and unwavering, every single one of her movements were measured and used to the best of her abilities.

. As the sun fell completely below the horizon Tatsuki came to a stop. The smell of fear was stronger than it had been before but there was something else. A low growl escaped her as she stood there something was stalking her. Just the fact that something thought it could sneak up on her and live made her want to laugh. With a quick movement Tatsuki was no longer on the ground. After settling on a thick branch she stilled.

On the ground below a man slowly emerged from the trees he was naked and there were more than a few scares that adorned the man's body. Crouched on the branch she watched him carefully for a few moments as he tried to find where she had gone. She found herself thankful that her it was easy for her to hide what she really was. For another half minute she watched him at first she was tempted to let him be than she caught the smell of a young wolf on him. There were fresher claw marks on his shoulders. Doing an elegant back flip from the branch she landed lightly on the ground behind him.

"Was she good for you?" Tatsuki question in a low voice, her eyes were narrowed and now had the appearance of wolf eyes instead of human. For a moment the man was surprised but then a mocking smile touched his lips. It was clear that he didn't see her as a threat after all she was just a woman. He let his eyes drift over her body slowly taking her in. There was nothing that screamed that she was a predator her feet were covered in a pair of black converses, her legs clothed in a pair of boot cut jeans and a simple t-shirt. No there was nothing about Tatsuki's appearance that warned of the violence that she was capable of unleashing.

"A woman like you shouldn't…." Just as his words were about to turn into something extremely sexist Tatsuki's right hand closed around his throat her nails digging in dangerously millimeters from his carotid artery. It was her left hand that had the man really worried it was closed around his junk and her nails were extended and digging in without mercy. There was no doubt that if he moved wrong she would remove the organ from his body or at the very least make it so there was no chance of him ever reproducing. "what do you want…." He gasped out.

"I want my pup back….and then I want anyone who has touched her…or looked at her wrong dead." Her voice was even not once betraying her worry that the girl was either dead or already to damaged to live a health life with the pack.

"You won't get away with it….there are more of us….little woman." He said with mocking laughter in his eyes.

"You want to know the difference between us dogs and you mangy little cats?" She asked as she tightened her hold on him. "The difference is family and pack is more important than the life of one person…..And kitty…trust me when I say there is nothing that will stop me from delivering justice…Because that is what I am..." With a vicious push she entered his mind without much worry. It wasn't something she was particularly good with but she did have the ability. Not worrying about keeping him from know that she was there she rummaged about until she saw what she needed. Pulling from his mind she snarled down at him. "You have sentenced your partners and those that side with you to death. " With that she jerked her right hand up and cut into the carotid artery. As he bleed out she pushed his body away from her and left it on the ground. If any of his friends came looking for him it would be a good warning. Pausing only to wipe her hands clean of blood she once again started moving through the forest to the place she had seen in his mind. He had been searching for little Maya she had escaped or had been freed it wasn't clear. Either way Tatsuki knew that she needed to find the girl and send her home before she dished out the justice of her people.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Pups

Demi couldn't help but feel annoyed as he watched Tatsuki disappear into the forest. He knew that she was only doing her job but it irritated him that she would just walk away like that as if it meant nothing that she would be facing people that could actually cause her some damage. Of course he supposed that she had been raised to do just what she had done. Turning back to the human who was waiting he smiled kindly.

"Do not worry about her; she knows what she is doing." He said pleasantly trying to reassure the man. Climbing into the waiting car he could only hope that this meeting would go well. After all he was of the old ways and preferred to stay away from the other species. The human continued to look worried as he started the car a pulled away from the airport and headed down the dirt road. Unlike the silence on the plane this one was filled with unease. Demi knew that he could try and ease the man's fears and worries but he couldn't make himself care that much. As the man had said there was nothing on either side of the road. There were area's that were clearly used for grazing lands and others that looked as if they had been allowed to grow wild.

"It isn't more than a twenty minute drive back to the ranch…. Master Manolito and his wife will be there to greet you when we reach the ranch." The driver forced himself to smile.

"That is good." Demi muttered. Once again silence stretched between the two men. As the road passed by Demi couldn't help but be a little curious as to what he would find. Then quicker than he had expected they were pulling down a long drive to the large ranch. As they pulled up to the house night had fallen completely and there standing on the porch was four of the De La Cruz brothers. When Demi stepped out of the car he could smell the woman just inside the house and the humans that lived there a little ways off. For a few moments no one moved the brothers were clearly eyeing Demi carefully. For his part he paid very little attention to three of the brothers. His eyes were locked on the eldest Zacarias. He appeared to be exactly what he had seen in his vision which made Demi smile slightly. Things were going to get very interesting, just as his mind started to wander a bit he caught a smell that surprised him little Maya was here. "The De La Cruz brothers….you look to be everything I was warned about." Demi said lightly.

"I do hope what you heard was flattering." Manolito said evenly as he stepped forward and extended his hand. "I am Manolito, these are my brothers Zacarias, Riordan, and Rafael."

"I am called Demi." He responded pleasantly as he grasped his hand. As he shook hands with Manolito he could sense the wolf in him. "Interesting….very interesting." The words were muttered softly as he pulled his hand away.

"We were told you would be traveling with another." Zacarias' voice was cold and without any emotion.

"I am…She had other business to attend to first and went to handle that first." He said everything evenly, as if she hadn't headed off to go and kill anything that had touched little Maya. As he watched the men it was clear that they weren't sure if they were comfortable with the thought of a woman out wandering alone.

"It is not a safe time for a woman with psychic abilities to be out alone…especially at night." Although it was not revealed in his tone it was clear that Zacarias was reprimanding Demi for allowing Tatsuki out on her own.

"If there is one woman that is able to protect herself from any manner of evil out there I assure you it is my traveling partner." Demi said with a mocking smile. " Now I was sent here to speak with a Maryann. Although if my nose isn't wrong I believe you have something else here that I am looking for."

"Come inside." Manolito said simply as he moved aside and his brothers followed his example and allowed the wolf on to the porch and lead him into the house. In the living room sat Maryann, Juliette, and Colby. When Demi looked at Maryann he frowned. There was too much of the old ways in him. It was clear what pack she had been from and it was not one that had been on friendly terms with his. From what he had heard she had been raised by humans because her family had been killed. There was a part of him that thought it was only right after all her pack leaders had sided with a few humans. "We found the girl a few days back she has not shifted back from her wolf form…she only allows Maryann or myself near her."

"That is normal…if she felt threatened or was hurt." Demi said in an absent minded way his eyes never left Maryann. It was amusing to him that Manolito moved so that he stood slightly in front of his woman as if to protect her. "It is a shame that you were not able to have the joys of a pack...Maryann." He said to her as though her lifemate were not standing there. "But then….the chances of them allowing such a match…would be slim." Demi couldn't help but needle the Carpathians. After all it was true there would have been no way that a pack leader would have allowed such a match. She laughed lightly at Demi's teasing after all her wolf told her that it was a true fact.

"It is good to meet other wolves….It was thought that you or rather we were gone from the world long ago." She said kindly as she stood and walked over to him and shook his hand. "Come sit and get comfortable."

"Thank you." Sitting down on a chair Demi could help but sigh. Tatsuki was right when she had been speaking about his age. His time was coming to an end, but before he left he would see the one who had saved his life happy. "Yes, well it was for the best that we disappeared…however I fear that I cannot say that you and your family were part of our pack."

"It is alright; I was raised by lovely people and had more love in my life than many." Even as she said the words her hand reached for her lifemates. There was a touch of sadness in her eyes.

Soon, conversations flowed about the room easily. Demi shared what it was like to live within a pack, he was careful of course to leave out Tatsuki and her job. After all there were some secrets that others were never meant to know. The longer he sat the more pleased he was with the scene he had seen. As the night wore on Demi had to say that he was more than a little surprised that Tatsuki had not shown up yet. Than without a word Zacarias stood and headed to the door.

"If you are thinking of going to fetch my…friend…I would suggest against it." Demi said lightly as he locked eyes with Zacarias. "It wouldn't not go over well with her." He had no doubt that Tatsuki would react extremely violently if anyone went after her. "She will come when she is ready and not a moment sooner."

"To allow your women out on their own is foolish." Without another word Zacarias said sharply than proceeded to open the door and was about to take to the air to look for the wolf that he was convinced had gotten lost. Demi's words however stopped him from moving.

"You have the smell of the pup she is searching for on you…If you were to approach her, there is no doubt that she would attack and possibly kill you." As the words left his mouth he could feel the amusement coming off of the others. " Carpathians always think they are so much better than other species….But you forget, our blood hides from others she would know that you were coming before you know who she was….The Tsume does not fight like others you know….Her job is to kill and to leave a clear message while doing it. She does not fight to survive, or to defend herself. "

"Is that her name Tsume?" Juliette questioned

"It is who she is." Demi responded with a shrug. "Allow her to come to us. It will save us all some trouble."

"You have not called this woman by a name." Zacarias' voice would have held a note of curiosity if he were capable to feel it. As it was, he found it suspicious that the man never called his partner by a name, but always referred to her in the most nondescript terms. Demi simply shrugged his shoulders. He had not been given permission to speak of what Tatsuki's job was and frankly he didn't really want to. If she felt the need to talk of it than she would when she arrived. Turning his head slightly a smile touched his lips as he caught the smell he had been waiting on.

"Here she comes. She will want to see the girl first thing." Demi said evenly there was a playful glint in his eyes as he settled back into his chair. The others in the room couldn't help but be a little curious as to who this woman was.

Chapter 4 – First meetings

Blood was a funny thing, it was easy to wash it from her hands but the smell was much harder to get rid of. It had taken her a good five minutes before she had been able to get rid of the smell to her satisfaction. Still crouched beside the small stream that she had found Tatsuki sat back on her heels and took in the night. There was a part of her that wanted nothing more that to shift her form and take off running. In her wolf form she was able to push aside all the memories and simply feel. When you ran there was this sense of freedom that filled your soul and that was the only peace that she managed to find. How long had she been hunting those that had wronged her pack? Some days it seemed as if she had never lived within the pack. Shoving the painful thoughts from her mind she once again focused on the job at hand. Raising to her feet she once again took off in the direction of the smell. There was a change in the scent no longer did the pup seem afraid just tired and worried. Tatsuki smiled slightly at least she didn't have to worry about finding the body of the pup. The times in which that had been the case were the worst. Some things a person can never get out of their mind and the broken body of a pup was one of those things.

As she ran through the forest it was more that she sensed the changes in the terrain more than she actually saw it. At the speed that she was running the forest around her seemed to be nothing more than a blur of plants. Coming to a stop she reached what was the edge of the forest with a careful leap she was over the small fence that they used to keep the animals from wandering out into the forest. Without much effort she locked on to the smell of the young girl and the smell of Demi. Once again starting off at a run she slowed as she neared the house. IT was then she caught the scent of the Carpathians. She wanted to howl in frustration. She really didn't want to have to deal with them at all. The only Carpathians that she could remember were the one that had been there the night everything had changed. Perhaps it wasn't fair but part of her blamed them for what her life had come to.

_IF I find out that you knew that they had little Maya with them Demi…you had better pray that you are able to move faster than I am. _ She sent the message sharply and hoped that it hurt a bit.

_I didn't know Tsume…If I had I would have told you….that much I can promise you…._

_Really? Because it seems to me that you and my brother are very content keeping information that may be important from me. _ She snarled back as she approached the house. _ I hate you for making it impossible for me not to deal with these….people. _

_You know the dangers facing both of our people…It is time for us all to come to some sort of understanding. _ There was a note of sadness and exhaustion in his words. Tatsuki did not respond to his words at all but continued her way to the house. Perhaps he was right, but she didn't really know what would become of her people. As she walked up the steps the door was opened before she could even knock. Standing there she froze for a moment. Her eyes locked on the man who had opened the door, he was a good head taller than her. It surprised her because he made her feel almost dainty and that was something that she was not. His eyes were as dark as the night and his hair long and pulled back in a low ponytail at the base of his skull. There was something about him that made her want to back away and go to him all at the same time. It was confusing and she didn't like the feelings at all. In fact just for the fact that the man made her unbalanced she wanted to rip him apart.

"Welcome to our home…." His voice cut through her thoughts. Turning her head to the side a bit she nodded once and then entered the home without a single word.

_Where is the girl?_ She questioned Demi not wanting to speak to those in the room. A room full of predators was never a good thing. The worst part was that Tatsuki wasn't the type to ever back down. No, if she felt threatened or that anyone in her pack was at risk she would do whatever it took to take out the threat to her pack.

"Tsume may I introduce to you the De La Cruz brothers…." Demi quickly went around the room and introduced each of the brothers and than their mates. Tatsuki didn't move a muscle during the whole thing. As far as she was concerned it was a pointless act she had no intention of having any interaction with the men. She could feel the stares from the others in the room that clearly said that they felt that she was being beyond rude as she refused to speak a word. For a moment her eyes locked on both Manolito and his mate Mary Anna. As she watched them there was a gleam in her eyes that said all to clearly that she didn't like or approve of them. She could smell the wolves in them and she purposefully allowed them to feel her beast and their wolves understood that she was not only an Alpha but she was the type that would rip the throat out of her opponent and not spare a second thought about it.

_The least you could do is be polite and speak to them.._Demi scolded sharply. Tatsuki for her part didn't even spar him a glance as she listened to him. _And not send out such threatening vibes._

_The least I could do is not react with violence…and look I am already doing that. _ She said with a cold laugh. _Demi, you would do well to remember that you have no place to censure me or my action I answer only to the Ulfric._

Everyone in the room could hear Demi's sharp intake of breath. He did not like the reminder of what all the years had done to the girl who had once been his best friend. The atmosphere in the room changed so swiftly that it would have been shocking to anyone who had never dealt with predators. The Carpathian males moved slightly in front of their mates, well at least the brothers with a mate. Zacarias watched Tatsuki carefully his eyes never leaving her. The feel of his eyes on her made Tatsuki uneasy there was something about the way that he watched her that made her want to hide from him. She didn't want to hide in fear but there was something else. Her wolf wanted to push this man to see if he was worthy of being her mate and that in itself scared the day lights out of Tatsuki. This feeling was something that she had never felt before.

"I only wish to see the girl…. And then I will leave you all to discuss whatever it is you were speaking of before I entered." The words fell slowly from Tatsuki's lips. Her voice was low and had a melody to it. As soon as the words left her mouth once again the air in the room changed and this time it was clear that there was surprise. The three brothers who were in the room stared at Zacarias for a moment before smirking for a split second and backing away from Tatsuki a bit.

From the moment the woman had walked into the room Zacarias could honestly say there was something about her that he didn't like. She was far too independent and seemed to not listen to those that knew better. Of course when he had first heard that her friend had allowed her to walk into the forest alone he had wanted to go after her after all there were dangerous things out there. Things that a woman any woman not matter the species should not be left alone with. Yet he had listened to his brothers and waited. When she came to the door and then entered without so much as a word all he could think was that She must not have been raise with any sort of respect. It was clear that she was speaking to the male through a mental connection yet she would not speak to the room. Then finally she spoke and everything changed. In a single instant everything came rushing into his mind. The room was filled with colors and there were the emotions that swept through his body. All of it was slightly overwhelming, yet he maintained an appearance of indifference. His eyes glued to the woman, she had been called Tsume yet for whatever reason that did not feel like it was her name. Her hair was black and cut short that would have to change he thought to himself, yes long hair would look so much better on her. As he stared at her taking everything in it was then that he saw how empty her eyes were. The dark orbs seemed to have no life in them her face though beautiful looked as though it never smiled or laughed. This was a woman that he was going to have to take control of.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 5- A predators smile

Tatsuki didn't know what to make of the change in the room. It seemed like the Carpathians were suddenly aware of something that she was not. As she quickly analyzed the changed she knew that whatever they had just figured out was not dangerous. Yet even as she knew there was no dangerous threat, she could feel that something big had changed. Whatever the change was it had happened right after she spoke and it came from the direction of the eldest brother. It came from the one person in the room that she was concerned about, the one that nearly made her question her abilities.

"Are you going to take me to the pup or not?" she asked in a sharp tone. The once called Rafael opened his mouth and then closed it quickly as he received a sharp look from his eldest brother. There was a look in Mary Ann's eyes that said that she didn't want to let Tatsuki near the girl. Tatsuki didn't blame her for the look she knew how she appeared to the others like she didn't care, but she was the best help for the girl at the moment.

"I will take you to see the child." Zacarias said in a low tone. He watched carefully as Tatsuki turned her head to look at him. For a moment they stared into each other's eyes until she nodded her head in agreement. "This way." He motioned towards the hallway. Somehow during their walk he managed to guide them through the halls all the while walking behind her. By the time they made it to the room the Little Maya was staying in Tatsuki's nerves were shot. They had not spoken during the walk, yet somehow he had made it clear without touching her or speaking that he wanted something from her. Tatsuki even before she had left to become the Tsume had never had anyone have a crush on her or anything of the sort. The place as the pack leaders daughter had ensured that even if a man had wanted her he would have never approached her without permission. Standing in front of the door Zacarias reached around Tatsuki his arm brushing against her as he opened the door.

"I will handle this alone from here." Tatsuki said stiffly. Zacarias simply raised an eyebrow and didn't move. "Fine stay if you wish." She said with a dismissive shrug. Without another look at him she walked into the room. The girl was in her wolf form lying on the large bed. The wolf raised its head and looked at her with a questioning look in her eyes. At that moment Tatsuki did something that surprised Zacarias; she pulled her shirt off, followed quickly by the rest of her clothes. For a split moment he got to enjoy the sight of her naked backside and then she was in her wolf form. In years to come he supposed this may be the moment he decided that fate had given him the perfect woman.

Tatsuki's wolf form was pure black the only other color on her was slight bit of white in her eyes. In a single bound she was on the bed nudging the girl with her nose. Though he couldn't understand what was being said between the two wolves it was clear that the girl was finally feeling safe because not five minutes after she had jumped on the bed she was leading the girl out of the room and down the hall towards the others. As they walked past him it did not escape his notice that Tatsuki was very careful to keep her body between him and the girl. Of course there was also the warning growl that came from her as she passed him and he moved what she deemed too close to the young wolf.

_Open the door so we can get out Demi….She needs to run and so do I _ Tatsuki called to Demi who was still in the living room talking with the others.

_Are you sure that is the best idea….these men will not think that…_

_What they think is not my concern I am a wolf not Carpathian I am not bound by their rules or desires. _ Tatsuki said as she cut Demi off sharply. She could feel Demi's reservation but none the less she could tell the was going to do as she asked. When she trotted into the living room side by side with Maya the door was open. Yet as she reached the door she found Zacarias standing in front of it.

"It is not safe for you and the child to be out in the night alone. " He said firmly. Her only response was to move in front of Maya and back the girl back a little and then growl. "Growling at me will not change my decision woman you will not go out alone. "

Demi could see that this was going to go downhill fast so he moved to get between Tatsuki and Zacarias in a hope that he could defuse the situation. Before he moved he noticed the others in the room shake their heads at him clearly saying that it was in everyone's best interest to not interfere. Tatsuki sank lower on her hind legs everything in her body tightening ready to attack the man before her.

_You think that YOU can tell me what to do? _ She sent the message hurling into Zacarias' mind with ferocious force.

_You are my lifemate so yes…but you are also a woman one that should be protected._ His words were calm and warm. There was nothing but the sense that what he said was fact. The way the words made her feel made her want to howl in frustration she did not like what this man was capable of making her feel.

_Don't be ridicules I am not yours nor anyone else's mate. I will never take a mate not in this life time or in one to come._ _ Now get out of my way I have a job to see to and you are in the way. _ Her words were as sharp as the teeth that she was now showing as she growled. It was clear that she was not going to waver in her decision to take Maya out of the house, it was also clear that Zacarias was not going to move out of the way and allow her to do as she pleased.

"Perhaps you should take the form of a wolf and run with them…" Demi suggested with a cheerful smile on his face.

_What are you playing at Demi I don't want this….this…man with me._ Tatsukis' head turned sharply to send Demi a reproachful look.

_That may be but you have a job to do and he is in the way…this is the only way to get this done without much of a fight. _ Demi explained and hoped for once she would just go along with what he said.

_ Do not get in my way…. And do not get to close to the pup…_ Tatsuki snarled at Zacarias. Part of him wanted to still refuse to allow her to leave the house but he did not wish to have to take his mate in hand in front of his brothers. He did not wish that embarrassment on her. With a stiff nod of his head he took the form of a wolf and led the way out of the house. As soon as they were away from the house Tatsuki shot ahead of him with Maya running close beside her. Zacarias growled but ran along with them. As they ran through the fields Zacarias began to get irated by Tatsuki's actions there was never a time that she wasn't in between Maya and him. Any time that he got what she deemed too close to the girl she would let out a low growl. Finally he backed away a bit and allowed the girls to run on their own through the fields that were used for grazing. Out of nowhere both girls shifted to human forms. The smaller girl hurled herself into Tatsuki's arms. Gently holding the girl as if standing there naked meant nothing to her she was whispering.

"….I want to go home Tsume….I just want to go home." The girl said in a soft voice. There were big tears rolling down her face as she spoke about what happened. Anger was flowing through Zacarias as he watched the two. At first he was angered by his mates disregard that someone would be able to see her in a way that only he should be allowed to. The second wave of anger came when he heard the young girls broken voice.

"You have to ask for it or I cannot act." Tatsuki said gently. As she watched Maya she could see the girls hesitance to do something that would result in the death of possibly many people. "You know the laws Little Maya." Using the name that her own father had given the girl made the pup smile slightly.

"I ask….I ask for Vengeance….I ask for you Tsume to right the wrong done….done…against one of your own." Maya said formally in a soft voice.

"I will right the wrong that has been done." Tatsuki answered as she spoke the words Zacarias noted a particular gleam in her eyes that said all to clearly that soon enough she was going to be covered in blood. Than just as fast the two girls were back in wolf form and let out a duel howl. There was something about the sound that made it clear that it was a warning to those that had hurt the girl.

As Tatsuki ran alongside Maya back to the house she couldn't help but enjoy the freedom that came when running. The faster she ran the less oppressive her memories were. Her heart pounded in her chest and her paws pounded against the ground as she ran. For a few moments she forgot the male that was running with them, she forgot why she was even in Brazil. It was in these moments that her heart was light and bright yet all too quickly she saw the house before them the door still open. Bounding up the stairs her and Maya paid no attention to the others and headed straight for the bed room. It didn't take long before she was dress and tucking the girl into bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed she stared down at the girl she was never allowed to acknowledge as her niece, the girl who would grow to look just like her mother. Tatsuki went from soaring high to the being so tied down that it hurt to breath. Reaching out she gently brushed the girls hair from her face.

Although he had not shared even a drop of blood with his mate Zacarias felt the despair that fell over her. Yet as quickly as the emotion had come it was soon pushed away. It was starting to irate him that his mate had such control over her emotions. There had been moments he wondered if she were like a Carpathian male and had no ability to feel emotion, but then there would be a violent eruption of emotion. As he once again stood in the living room he could feel the evening start to end. His brothers had all left the room leaving only the other wolf and himself as they waited to be joined by his mate. Standing there he could feel the man's eyes burning into his skin. Just as he was about to say something the man spoke.

"You hurt her…and your people will be praying for death at the hands of the mage." Demi said in a casual manner. Zacarias raised an eyebrow and looked that the older man. If he didn't find it amusing that the man thought that his people actually had that sort of power he would have been insulted. "You think it amusing….but remember it was not long ago you thought that we were all dead…."

"She is my Lifemate…I cannot hurt her." Zacarias said evenly. The man was right no one knew exactly how many wolfs there were, nor did they know where they were. It was a race that was even more secretive than his own.

" I know….that you would not mean it….but she is delicate." Demi said with a smile. He was probably one of the only people who thought that she was delicate. At this point he believed that she did not even think herself capable of anything other than killing.

"I know how to take care of my mate."

"You don't….I can tell you this much, The Tsume she is unlike any other. Once long ago perhaps you would have been able to handle her….but now…now she is different. Even other wolves fear getting close to her." Demi admitted. Hell, it had taken a lot of courage for him to agree to this trip. As much as he loved her she was becoming more and more dangerous. Zacarias watched the man carefully it rubbed him the wrong way that this man seemed to know his mate so well. Then the darkness in him seemed to rise up as a nagging thought came to his mind. What if this man was closer to his mate than it seemed. Demi's smile slipped from his face when he saw the look in Zacarias' face. Slowly he stood from his chair and backed away a bit. "I am going to go and rest….my old body seems to need more and more sleep these days. Please let Tsume know I will speak with her later." Then quickly Demi fled the room.

Tatsuki closed the door to Maya's room softly. Padding down the hallway she couldn't help but feel a bit constricted dressed in her clothes again. In one hand she carried her shoes as she entered the living room she quickly noticed that the only person in the room was Zacarias. Standing up a bit straighter she narrowed her eyes as she watched him. He sat in a winged back chair his eyes were glued on her as she entered the room.

"Where is Demi?" She questioned sharply.

"He has went to sleep…." His voice swept over her body making her feel warm and safe. "Come closer…." His words were heavy with a hidden compulsion. Without much thought Tatsuki took a step in his direction before she forced herself to stop.

"What are you playing at Carpathian?" She snarled it worried her that he was able to get her to move before she even noticed the compulsion in his voice. "I do not appreciate you attempt to control me."

"If I wished to control you woman I would." He said evenly.

"You do and I will rip your throat out…" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was a normal reaction for her, but she was not used to dealing with someone who there was a very good chance was a lot stronger than she was. In the blink of an eye Zacarias was towering over her leaving no room between the two of them. Looking up at him she didn't blink, she didn't dare show anything that would indicate that she was in anyway afraid of him.

"You are welcome to try it…my wolf." He all but purred. There was something in his eyes that almost sent Tatsuki retreating backwards. The way that he said 'My wolf' made something inside of Tatsuki melt.

"I don't try anything….I simply do." Tatsuki forced the words out as if they meant nothing at all. "If you don't mind stepping away would be much appreciated."

"Tell me, what did the child mean by asking for vengeance?" He asked without moving. Frankly, he liked standing close to her. If he had his way he would have her wrapped up in his arms.

"Exactly, what it sounds like….She wants the justice in accordance to our laws." Tatsuki said evenly. "She has asked me to execute the judgment in accordance with our laws."

"Judgment?" Zacarias' eyes narrowed as he listened to what she said. "And what would that judgment be?"

"Death…to all those who touched her….or help those who hurt her." Her words were said so evenly and without any care that for the first time Zacarias wondered what sort of woman his lifemate was.

"No, you will not do such a thing." As he said the words he stepped back a bit. The look that he wore on his face said all to clearly that he now considered the conversation over.

"no?" Tatsuki questioned with a mocking smile on her face. Soon a laugh spilled forth from her lips. "How cute you think that you can tell me what to do….." Each word that she spoke was dripping with disdain. "I will hunt down the people that hurt the pup and kill them…there is no discussion, no vote, there is no other option."

"I will not allow you to do such a thing….a woman should not be involved in such violence." He said through gritted teeth. Although they were no longer standing as close they were still with in reaching distance of each other.

"I don't know what type of women you Carpathians have, but you would do well to remember that I am not one of them. I will do my duty to my people. And No one will stand in my way Carpathian."

"You are my Lifemate you will do as I tell you!" At his outburst Tatsuki burst out in bitter laughter. As she watched him struggle to control his temper

"I am not yours…nor anyone else's….I can never be anyone's mate" She said sharply. "Nor would I ever want to be." The last part was probably the biggest lie that she had told. "I am The Tsume…I live only for my pack." With that she turned and started to walk away. Before she disappeared down the hallway she paused and looked over her shoulder at him. If only she was not bound to her pack in the way that she was. The man was beyond handsome she would have loved to been able to at least have a fling with him.

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AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews I really appreciate it! Well I hope that ya'll enjoyed this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 6 – Don't stand to close

"You are mine," in the blink of an eye he was behind her his arms holding her tightly to his body. "And you will learn to accept this fact." For a moment everything was calm as if she were accepting his hold on her. Then with a practiced move she was out of his arms standing facing him her eyes dancing with fury.

"Do not ever place your hands on me Carpathian." She snarled. Yet as he looked at her beneath the fury in her eyes was something else. There was a look of fear and hurt. "There is nothing left of me to give to anyone else…so leave me be. " for each step that she took backwards he took one forward. In a moment of weakness that she would later deny she reached out in her mind for Demi. Yet even as she did so she knew from the look in Zacarias' eyes that he knew what she had done.

"Do not call your friend, do not place another in the middle of us…You will not like what happens if you do." His words rankled across her mind. It wasn't in her nature to let any sort of threat to her pack go. When her eyes flashed with fury Zacarias couldn't help but smile a bit. Of course the smile did nothing to help the rage that was growing in his mate.

"Are you threatening my pack?" She questioned in a harsh tone. With her hands clenched by her side she could feel her nail elongate as she stood there. Before long the nails were biting into her skin causing them to bleed.

"No, it is just a warning….this is between us my wolf….no one else." He said gently the smell of the blood that was pooling on her hands wafted up to his nose. Reaching out he took her hands in his with as surprising amount of gentleness. Tatsuki was so shock by the amount of gentleness she didn't know what to do. It had been so many years since anyone had touched her with that amount of care. Her eyes went wide as he pried her fingers open to look at the crescent shaped cuts on her palm. With his eyes looked with her he left her hand to his mouth and gently licked the blood from her hand. Her breath got stuck in her chest when she felt his tongue touch her hand. Slowly he swirled it around each cut on her hand. Mesmerized she didn't pull her hand from his grasp. Standing there she just let the warmth of his tongue surround her. The air in the room seemed to grow thick. It took all of her control to pull her hands from him. Looking at him she backed away from him slowly the look in his eyes made her skin feel too sensitive. Even with the distance between them growing as she backed down the hall it felt like he was still touching her.

"You….You are nothing to me." She muttered sharply then turned sharply and disappeared into the room the Maya was sleeping in. Even as she shut the door she couldn't shake the feeling of him. Letting out a low growl she struggled to push aside the feelings that he had brought to the surface. Quickly striping she shifted to the form of a wolf. Moving to a spot under the window she laid down on the floor letting the moonlight glisen off her pelt.

_Why do you run from me __päläfertiilam? You know in the end you are mine._ His words grated on her nerves. He was so confident that he was somehow her mate.

_You know nothing of me….and you are a fool to think that I would ever consent to being with you._ Tatsuki's words where sharp and held back none of her dislike of the idea of belonging to a man. She was a loner and there was nothing that was going to change that. The sooner that she was able to leave the better. Zacarias could feel her intention to just leave during the day.

_You will wait until night and I am with you before you attempt anything stupid like going out into the forest alone. _ Tatsuki let out a slight whimper at the strength that he put behind the command.

_Leave me be._ With that she buried her mind deep within her wolf so that her thoughts were no long that of a human but of a wolf. It was as if she had all but disappeared. With a show of immense self-control Zacarias walked from the house. He could feel his brothers concern for him but along with the concern he could sense their amusement.

As the sun rose Tatsuki stretched in the sunlight. The feel of it on her pelt made her let out a sigh of contentment. Getting up she shifted back to her human form and dressed quickly. Looking over at the bed Maya was still fast asleep curled up in the middle of the bed with the blankets all tangled up around her. Pausing by the bed she reached down and brushed a bit of hair out of the girls face. As she stood there she heard the door open behind her. Without turning she knew that it was Demi who had entered the room.

"Well, there was no blood in the living room so I assume you two came to an agreement of sorts last night." He said in a deceptively cheerful voice.

"Of course we came to an understanding…." Tatsuki's words were dripping with sarcasm. Even as she stood there she could still feel the pull of his command for her not to do anything until he was awake. With a sharp movement she turned and faced Demi. "I am going out… you are to stay with Maya…."

"Tatsuki….perhaps, you should wait until they are awake and they…" His words trailed off at the look in her eyes.

"I hope that you weren't about to say that I should wait for their help..." She snarled "I don't need help…not theirs and not yours. So do your damn job and stay with Maya and stay the Hell out of my way. I will not have you or anyone else getting in my way today."

Without another word she was out of the room and Demi could only dread the coming evening. He knew that things were not going to be good and part of him wanted nothing more than to be far away. The only thing that kept him in his place was the fact he knew this was what was needed. At the end of the day he was doing all of this because he wanted to see his old friend once more before it was his time to move from this world.

"This will all work out…in the end." He whispered as he smiled down at the girl in the bed. Sitting down by the window he caught a glimpse of Tatsuki before she disappeared into the forest.

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A/N: Wow, so this is a really short chapter...Sorry about that but i promise the next one is longer and better.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 7- The nature of the beast

Standing in the forest Tatsuki was still for a moment. She stood there just feeling everything around her. Today she knew would be different from the night before. For today she was out for blood. She moved the rough the forest with purpose. From the mind of Maya she had been able to pull a picture of the place that she had been taken to. Although she knew that the day would end with the death of at the very least a few people she wondered how they had known Maya was a wolf. Perhaps it had been their bad luck that they had picked a wolf. Yet something nagged at the back of her mind that it had not been an accident or luck at all. The trek through the forest was long and dangerous. It took her nearly until the middle of the day before she reached the place that she was looking for. From what Maya had shown her it wasn't the place she had been saved from but the place she had originally been taken. From a place high in the trees she looked down at the small huts she saw.

In the center of a couple of small wooden huts was what looked to be a bunker. She wondered how on earth it had been brought out here. There were no roads and the trees were too thick for the supplies to be brought in by air. Whoever was running things had help from the locals. Which meant there was a good chance that she was going to run in to more than one 'cat' at a time here. With the skill of a seasoned hunter Tatuski sat perfectly still on the branch where she watched everything. What surprised her was that she had yet to see more than one 'cat'. As afternoon turned to early evening she let herself fall from the tree with exquisite grace. Quickly she moved from her place in the trees to the center bunker. The lock on the door was simple, so simple it took her under 10 seconds to get it opened. Creeping in the bunker she could smell the heavy scent of antiseptics. The scent made her want to cover her nose. She could hear the sounds of people talking down the small hallway. Even with her overwhelming desire to just kill the people and be done with everything she knew that this thing was reaching farther than she had ever thought. It was then that she paused she smelled the scent of another wolf. This one was male and not young in the least. Slipping deeper into the shadows she pondered what this could mean. He didn't smell distressed in fact he smelled of satisfaction and pride.

"It was like you said…" a voice said evenly.

"They are predictable…if anything." Came the voice of the wolf. It then became quiet which worried Tatsuki. Slowly she backed from her hiding place yet as the same time that she moved a door opened and bright light spilled into the hallway. She had made it back to the entrance when she heard the sound of a person clapping. Looking back she was stunned at what she saw. Standing in the middle of the hallway was a man that was supposed to be dead. More importantly she had played a big part in his death, or supposed death. Yet as she looked at him she could see the scare that ran along his face. It was a cut that she had given him. "You are faster than I had thought….Tatsuki…or perhaps I should call you Tsume." Straightening up she was careful to keep all her emotion from her face as she looked at a man who cared only for himself.

"You touched one of my pups….And she has asked for vengeance….You know the rules." Tatsuki said evenly.

"are you asking me to step out with you darling?" He asked with a mocking smile tugging at his lips.

"Either here or out in the open….I care not."

"I think that you do…care that is. After all you are a woman and cannot help it." Tatsuki didn't move so much as a muscle at his taunt. In the back of her mind Tatsuki had taken note of the humans that were standing in the door way watching. Even they could see this was a situation that was going to unravel fast. Everything was still, for a moment it even seemed like the inhabitants of the building stopped breathing. Then there was an explosion of action. The man flew forward his nails becoming claws as he moved and a hand drawing out a knife. Tatsuki took a few quick steps and had them outside and then with a few more steps she was outside the circle of huts. She did not want to be surrounded by anything but the forest when she fought. This was one that she didn't know if she was going to be able to win.

Spinning to face the man coming at her, Tatsuki threw her hands up in a defensive move at the last second and used the man's momentum to throw him away from her. With that the fight was on in earnest for a while they traded blows while staying human form. Neither of them gaining the upper hand. Taken by surprise Tatsuki gasped out in pain as he managed to get past her defenses and slice her at her collar bone. Luckily she had been able to back up just enough that the cut was shallow. With a howl of fury she shifted from human to wolf in the blink of an eye. Launching at the man she was able to pin him to the ground her teeth sunk into his shoulder. She had missed his neck and that saved the man's life. Her front paws were digging down on his arms keeping him from using his wicked knife or his claws. Gathering his strength he was able to push her from him and shift to his wolf form. Circling each other was a pitch black wolf and a white one. He was bigger than her and she knew that there was a good chance that if he pinned her that she was either dead or going to become his next plaything. Finally the wolves launched themselves at each other in a fury of fangs, and claws. The sun had begun to set as the two broke apart. At this point there was no clear winner and the chance of them both dying had increased.

_We will finish this later….and when we do I will have you begging on your knees. _ The man growled.

_I will never beg._ She snapped back as he disappeared. Tatsuki almost let out a growl of frustration. The trek there had been hard enough and now she had to go all the way back while bleeding and in wolf form. Today was not her day. As she started back she felt something move inside her. It was almost as if she were a bit scared to go back. Pushing the thoughts away she focused on making it back so that she could lick her wounds in peace. Yet even as the thought came to her she had a horrible feeling that she wasn't going to get to do that.

The first thing he knew when he burst from the ground was that his lifemate was not in the house nor was she on the ranch at all. The darkness that was in him flew to the surface faster than it ever had before. For a split second he feared that he would lose to it but then pushed it back down. He had is family to protect still and a Lifemate who needed to learn how to obey. She would learn how to obey if he had to tie her down to make her get the point. Just as the thought of tying her down came into his head it turned from doing it out of frustration into all the pleasurable things he could do. Zacarias was quick to find food before he went off in search of his lifemate. His brothers called to him and asked if he wished their aide. All of which he rejected firmly, he was going to find his woman on his own and then bind her to him so she would not do such a thing again. Shifting to the form of an owl he flew through the skies at a furious speed. Yet he couldn't pick up any trace of her thoughts. Just as he was about to command her to come to him he spotted the male wolf at the edge of the property looking agitated. In a split moment he almost fell from the sky out of the forest came a wolf covered in blood. His heart stopped beating he didn't even have to guess who it was. Falling from the sky he shifted at the same moment she did. As he moved the last few steps towards her he growled as she stumbled into Demi's arms.

Demi looked up quickly as he heard movement behind him. With one look at Zacarias he gently helped Tatsuki stand and backed away from her.

_I told you to wait Tatsuki. Now I think you have really done it._ He scolded lightly. Demi wasn't stupid enough to try and stop Zacarias from approaching Tatsuki. Frankly he all he wanted to do was get as far away from the two of them as possible. If Tatsuki had been another person she would have backed way with a bit a fear. However, she would swear up and down that she feared no one so she met Zacarias' stare with a defiant look.

"I told you to wait until evening." He said in an even tone. Though his words were said in such a way that it seemed like he couldn't care less his eyes were flashing with fury. Had that situation been different Tatsuki may have laughed at the fact that he seemed not to notice that she was standing there naked. "Leave us wolf." He snapped at Demi. Demi glanced at Tatsuki worriedly but she nodded her head and he sighed and headed back to the house.

_If you need me call…._ Demi sent her comforting thoughts as he walked away. Not that she was about to admit it but the fact he was waiting to help her if she needed her made her a little happier.

"And I told you that I would do as I pleased." She responded with a sigh. In a single movement Zacarias reached out and pulled her towards him.

"You should learn to obey."

"I obey only the Ulfric, No one else. Especially not some Carpathian male who seems to have the mistaken idea that I should listen to him." Tatsuki's words fell like acid from her lips.

"YOU could have been killed woman. Have you no concern for youself?"

"I will do my job no matter what the coast."

"That is unacceptable. I cannot allow such behavior."

"No one asked you to accept it! IT is none of your concern!"

"You have given me no choice in this matter. I had wanted to wait to do this as my sisters have advised me. You have brought this on yourself woman." He growled. He held her tightly to her and for the first time since he approached a touch of fear had seeped into her eyes "**Te avio päläfertiilam. Éntölam kuulua, avio päläfertiilam. Ted kuuluak, kacad, kojed. Élidamet andam. Pesämet andam. Uskolfertiilamet andam. Sívamet andam. Sielamet andam. Ainamet andam. Sívamet kuuluak kaik että a ted. Ainaak olenszal sívambin. Te élidet ainaak pide minan. Te avio päläfertiilam. Ainaak sívamet jutta oleny. Ainaak terád vigyázak." ** The words flowed out of his mouth gracefully. As he said them the anger and frustration in his eyes seemed to fade a bit. Tatsuki could feel the power in the words. Yet to her it felt like a collar being placed around her neck, they were suffocating and infuriated her.

"what have you done?" She hissed.

"I have made you mine so that you cannot do what you have done today again." He said evenly. As the words left his mouth she let out a furious howl. Before he could react she had wrenched herself from his grasp and slashed her claws across his chest leaving four deep cuts as she shifted to wolf form and toke off in the direction of Demi.

_I will kill you for this_ She said sharply every part of her meaning it even as the words caused part of her too cringe in pain to wish such a thing on him. It made her furious that he thought what he had done was right. That in some way what he had done was perfectly normal. All she could think of as she ran was that she needed to speak to Demi. He would know what was going on and how to fix what had been done. She wasn't meant to have a mate. It was one of the first things she had been taught all those dreams that young girls had she would never get any of that. Her life was the pack, so long as they lived she lived, what they needed she did. She was no longer a person she was a tool. As she ran she could feel the Carpathian ….no…her…her mate coming after her. The second she referred to him as her mate she stumbled for a moment before picking her speed up. Everything was hurting on her, yet the thing that hurt the most was the fact that this man was offering everything she knew she could never have. It made her furious that he would do such a thing. When the job was finished she knew that she would be on a plane back to her apartment alone. Once she saw Demi still walking he turned and saw her stopping he could feel her distress even as she didn't tell him anything. Turning he stopped until she came to a stop and pushed herself up against his leg.

Fury ripped through Zacarias' gut as he chased after his mate. She was keeping her feelings from him and it tore at his soul. When he saw her come to a halt at the side of the other wolf he nearly attacked.

"Back away from her wolf. We will deal with this alone." He snapped. As he spoke he could feel his brothers coming to his aide. They could feel the darkness in him and were concerned.

"You have no idea what you have done do you Carpathian?" Demi questioned shaking his head slowly. "No, you don't seem the type to care about anything but yourself….Leave us I will speak with her…and when she is ready she will speak to you." The way he said it was dismissive as if what Zacarias wanted meant nothing to him. At the end of the day it did mean nothing to him. Zacarias made a move to come closer and for the first time Demi allowed him to see that though he was old it was by no means a clear indication that Zacarias would come out of a fight with him alive. "Back off Carpathian…" _Allow me to try and fix the damage that you have done._ He forced his thoughts into the other mans mind.

Although it was going against everything in his nature Zacarias backed off a bit. The cuts on his chest were beginning to throb. Looking down for the first time he saw that her claws had cut deep. "fine." He growled by that time Manolito and his lifemate had reached their side.

"Come brother let me heal you…then you can check on your lifemate." Manolito said evenly. Maryanna was quiet as she looked between the two people. Tatsuki caught her eyes and snarled at her. Without another moment she turned and bounded off beside Demi heading towards the forest. She needed distance and time.


	7. Chapter 7

Once she reached the safety of the trees she settled back on her hunches but did not shift back. Demi reached the trees shortly after her. He sat down silently and watched her as she licked the blood from her wounds. Silence fell between them and the sounds of the forest around them seemed to nearly over whelm the senses.

"Are you going to talk to me?" Demi asked softly after a while. "You cannot be angry with a man for doing what is in his nature." He watched as Tatsuki's head turned to the sided and watched him for a bit.

_Can't I? His nature has made him dangle something in front of me that I know I can never have..._ Her words were weighted down with weariness that Demi had never expected her to display. _His duty is to his family and mine to my pack…the two can't mix you know that. He would never accept that my pack would always come first…before him…before his family…and god forbid but between any children we had….That is why it is forbidden for one of us to have a mate. _

"Things are changing…If you spoke with the Ulfric I am sure that he would change the rules…"

_The rule cannot change…the reason we are still a strong pack is because of the rules. We are still a full pack because we have always had a Tsume…because we do not mix with others. I will not cause the fall of our pack. _ Deep down she knew her reasons had nothing to do with the pack but with the promise a small child had made to her mother. _ You will send word to the ulfric of what has happened, He will get the price of their people to correct this error. _ For a moment her heart hurt far more then the wounds that she bore. She could feel her body rejecting the idea of separating from the man she had just been bound to.

"Tatsuki, do not do something rash…" Demi said slowly. "Do not push away a chance to have a full life…one that is not covered with blood." He wanted to tell her to take hold of this chance because if she did not the future that he had seen for her was one that did not end well.

_Leave me be Demi…._ She said in a sigh before looking away from him effectively dismissing him from her presence. There wasn't time for her to deal with all of this yet it was the only thing that she felt like dealing with. Demi watched for a moment before walking away. There was nothing he could done when she got like this. He only prayed that someone else would be able to talk some sense into her.

Tatsuki sat unmoving for quite some time. As she sat there she thought about everything that was happening. How badly she wanted to take Demi's advice. Sure the man was not one that she would have chosen for herself but he was one that would be able to stand on equal ground with her, he was offering her everything that she could have ever dreamed of as a child. Yet as she could feel her heart telling her to accept him to go to him and hold on to him with everything she was, her mind warned her of the dangers. What kind of mate could she possibly be? Did she even know how to love a person?

From a short distance away Zacarias watched his mate as she sat still. Then without warning her head rose and her eyes locked with his. The pain and confusion that was in her gaze made him struggle to breathe for a moment. Perhaps the worst part was that he knew that he had caused most of the emotions that he saw in her face. In carefully thought out movements he approached her slowly until he stood only a few feet in front of her. The silence that was between them was heavy. _Allow me to heal your wounds…_ His words were gentle yet and persuasive yet he did not use his power with them. For a moment she did nothing almost as if she were going to refuse and then she shifted from her wolf form to human. Nodding her head in consent her muscles tensed as he reached out towards her. Tatsuki's breath caught in her throat when his hands brushed against her skin. She watched him carefully his hands surveyed the wounds on her body. It took all of her control to suppress the pain that came when he touched a particularly big gash on her stomach. For his part Zacarias fought hard against his every instinct that told him to take her and make her his in every possible way. Looking up to her face he locked eyes with her as he dipped his head down to the wound. Sure he knew that he could heal the wound without the healing agent in his mouth but he wanted this between them. He wanted this closeness this show of trust.

Tatsuki's forgot to breathe for a moment when his lips touched the wound. The feel of his tongue carefully moving about the wound caused her heart to skip a beat. Her eyes were locked with his the entire time. She could feel her body grow warm as he allowed his tongue to trail about the wound. Watching him she could see the fire that was burning in his eyes, his desire to have so much more than just this. As if they had a life of their own her hands drifted up and soon found their way to his hair. At first her touch was hesitant and unsure but soon her fingers were buried in his hair.

_I wish things could be different…_ the words drifted from her mind to his so freely and easily. Once again her eyes were filled with sadness and regret. _I cannot be what you need…or deserve._

Her words danced around in Zacarais head for a while before he spoke. There was something that she and her companion were holding back. Something that was keeping her from him and he wanted to push but he knew she would push back. After the few words from her companion he knew that if he pushed too hard she would disappear. Perhaps not physically but emotionally and that was something he could not allow. So for the moment he would have to take his time. _There is time for us to work this out my wolf. Do not distress yourself. _ His words were filled with confidence and reassurance. _You will heal better if you allow me to give you some of my blood._ These words he was careful to keep them light and unassuming. He knew that his brothers would be laughing at him if they knew how he had to persuade his lifemate to do as he wanted. Yet as he thought for a moment that it might've been easier if she did not have power of her own he knew that she was a woman who would be able to stand beside him and not tremble or be frightened the darkness in the world. For a few moments he thought that she was going to refuse, but then ever so slightly she nodded her head in agreement. _Will you allow me to take some of yours too?_ The question surprised him even as he said it. Tatsuki stared at him for a moment then she nodded again and turned her gaze from him. _ Do not look away from me my wolf._ Dragging her gaze back she watched as moved so that he could freely take blood from her. Her eyes went wide as his teeth sank into her the soft flesh of her neck. It was nothing like she thought. It felt right, like something that was supposed to happen nothing that she should be worried about. The amount of blood was miniscule but enough that he would be able to find her if needed. Carefully taking his wrist Zacarias made a simple cut and held it to her lips. _Drink my wolf…_ and she did hesitantly at first and then with a little more confidence. He did not allow her much because he did not want to alarm her with the changes that his blood would bring to her. Without word he carefully scooped her up in his arms and headed back to the house.

"I can walk." She protested weakly.

"I know, but allow me this… when you were gone you frightened me." He said gruffly. Not truly wanting to admit that he had been terrified something had gone horribly wrong with her.

"I can take care of myself." Tatsuki muttered.

"Perhaps…But you are my mate….so I will take care of you also." He said evenly. "I feel that I may be better at taking care of you then you are at taking care of yourself." There was an arrogance in his tone that cause Tatsuki the growl.

"Please…I have been taking care of myself for years…many many years." She scoffed in disbelief. "And you know what I would make you let me walk if I wasn't so lazy…" This was only a half lie she thought to herself after all it wasn't so much lazy but it felt good to be held so gently.

"are you going to tell me what caused all this damage?"

"No, It is not your worry." Tatsuki said softly. "I am bound the laws of my people just as you are bound by yours. Please do not ask me to break them." With that silence fell between the two of them. However this time there was an understanding in the quiet that had never been there before.

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A/N: Wow...so sorry that it took this long for an update...and that the update isn't all that long. Unfortunately i sort of lost my inspiration for this story...but not to worry I have found it again or at least I will work through my dry spell so to speak. I really hope to finish this by summer time. In any case Thank you all for your reviews the mean a lot to me I love to hear what ya'll think.


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